Six Flags Magic Mountain has permanently retired its X2 rollercoaster after almost two decades, following lawsuits alleging serious brain injuries among riders and the deaths of two people linked to the attraction.
Brian Oerding, president of the theme park in Valencia, California, announced the decision on Tuesday local time. He said X2 had carried more than 16 million guests since opening in 2008 and had developed “a passionate following among ride enthusiasts”.
“After almost 20 years, we have decided to permanently retire X2,” Mr Oerding said.
He added that the ride had consistently passed safety tests, but said the park believed closing it was “the right thing to do” after guest confidence was affected.
X2 was marketed as a “fifth-dimension wing roller coaster”. Its seats extended on either side of the track and rotated independently through 360 degrees as riders descended 200ft at speeds of up to 76mph.
The park’s accessibility guidance warned of high-speed turns, steep drops and sudden stops, and instructed passengers to keep their heads against the headrest and their limbs inside the vehicle.
The ride was closed on July 12 after two riders suffered severe brain injuries within days of each other.
Pamela Guillen was riding with her daughter on July 5 when she became unresponsive after leaving the coaster. Court documents allege that the ride was “unusually rough” and that she lost consciousness shortly afterwards.
Ms Guillen was taken to hospital for emergency surgery to treat an acute subdural haematoma with brain compression. The filing describes her injuries as causing “severe, permanent brain damage”.
Her daughter, Camille Marquez, said her mother appeared unresponsive immediately after the ride. “She looked lifeless, not a thought behind her eyes, nothing,” she said.
Six days later, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson collapsed after riding X2 and was also taken to hospital for emergency brain surgery. Her family alleges that she remains severely impaired and is unable to speak or voluntarily move her limbs.
Artemis Greer, Ms Greer-Wilkinson’s mother, said a surgeon had demanded to know how many similar cases there had been that month and called for the ride to be shut down.
Doctors who treated both women reportedly determined that their injuries were consistent with a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event experienced on the ride. Six Flags has maintained that X2 passed its safety testing.
Lawsuits against Six Flags Magic Mountain
The attraction has since become the subject of multiple lawsuits. Dordick Law Corporation filed three claims against Six Flags Magic Mountain on September 22 after being contacted by more than 300 people who reported injuries.
The firm said more than 100 clients were expected to pursue legal action. Ms Guillen and Ms Greer-Wilkinson are among the plaintiffs, alongside Michael Wilk, who lawyers say suffered a catastrophic brain bleed after riding X2.
A separate lawsuit relates to the death of 22-year-old Christopher Hawley in 2022. His family alleges that the ride came to an abrupt and violent halt on June 23 that year, after which he complained of head pain, collapsed and was taken to hospital.
A scan found a catastrophic subdural haematoma and Mr Hawley died the following day. His family’s lawsuit was settled with Magic Mountain in August, with the terms not disclosed.
Despite the legal claims, Mr Oerding said ride safety remained “a cornerstone” of the business. “When we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously,” he said.
